From a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

Yamaha Italia World Supersport Team Newsletter
Date: Friday, 11st June 2004
Circuit: Silverstone m. 5.036
Friday Qualifying
Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy Temperature: air 18° C track 32° C
Crowd: 10.000

FORET READY TO POUNCE
Team Yamaha Racing Italia rider Fabien Foret posted the second quickest time of the day and ended just a whisker behind Australian Karl Muggeridge. Just over a tenth of a second separates the duo, Fabien is determined attack Muggeridge and go for pole position in tomorrow’s final qualifying.

MAIO MEREGALLI (TEAM CO-ORDINATOR)
“Fabien was very fast today. Jurgen spent the day searching for a front tyre, but I am confident that he will improve a lot tomorrow. The fight with Honda will be very close and spectacular, but I think we can get some very good results on Sunday.”

FABIEN FORET – 2nd, 1:56.846
“I did my fastest lap today by doing very fast in the first two sectors. I am not so fast in the final (more twisty) sector, I will try and limit the damage there in the race. I am confident of improving tomorrow and being able to challenge Muggeridge for pole and podium. I tried a few starts today because they caused me problems in the last few rounds.”
_
JURGEN VAN DEN GOORBERGH – 9th, 1:58.289
“The bike is OK, but I must find a front tyre that I like before I can ride the way I want to. Last year Pirelli had a front tyre I really liked, but it’s not in their line-up this year, so I will have to do my best with the tyres I have.”

Results
1 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 1:56.715, 2 FORET (F-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA)
1:56.846, 3 Parkes (Aus-Honda) 1:57.033, 4 Charpentier (F-Honda)
1:57.339, 5 Corradi (I-Honda) 1:58.076, 6 Curtain (Aus-Yamaha) 1:58.082,
7 Lanzi (I-Ducati) 1:58.181, 8 Riba (E-Kawasaki) 1:58.242, 9 VD
GOORBERGH (NL-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA) 1:58.289, 10 Chambon (F-Suzuki)
1:48.313


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI THIRD AND TOSELAND SEVENTH FOR DUCATI FILA IN SILVERSTONE OPENING QUALIFIER

Silverstone (Britain), Friday 11 June 2004: Ducati Fila’s Anglo-French pairing of Regis Laconi and James Toseland had a satisfactory opening qualifying session ahead of Sunday’s Round 6 of the World Superbike Championship, setting third and seventh quickest times respectively.

Laconi was just three-tenths of a second off the pace of provisional poleman Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) but was convinced there was more to come tomorrow.

“I’m not very happy about the front feeling for the first time this year but it’s nothing to worry about because we have some different settings to test for tomorrow” declared Laconi. “We didn’t test a qualifier either, we just gathered the most information possible for tomorrow when I’m sure we ‘ll find something good. The front end is not so good all the way round the circuit and is not turning in to the corners but we’re working on that to make it better tomorrow.”

Championship leader Toseland was not too worried about his provisional seventh place slot as he concentrated on obtaining the best possible set-up for Sunday’s race.

“I’m in seventh place but you can ignore the position to be honest” commented James. “We’re consistently good on race tyres, and there is plenty more left to come. We just need to tweak a few things and then we’ll be up at the front. I’m feeling quite relaxed because my lap times are good and consistent. We didn’t use a qualifier in that session and I stayed out there just to get a feel for everything and see how the tyres would work over the distance. The bike feels good in the quick part of the circuit, but I need to improve in the slow bit, where I have to learn how to get round it better.”

TIMES: 1. Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) 1’55.043; 2. Vermeulen (Honda) 1′ 55.408; 3. Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1’55.415; 4. Haga (Renegade Ducati) 1′ 55.522; 5. Nannelli (Ducati) 1’55.932; 6. Borciani (DFX Ducati) 1’55.977; 7. Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1’55.984; 8. McCoy (Xerox Ducati) 1’55.987; etc.


More, from a press release issued by MSS Discovery Kawasaki:

World Supersport Championship ­ Round six – Silverstone, June 11-13 2004

Friday June 11 2004

MSS DISCOVERY TEAM TAKE ON WORLD WITH RIBA AT SILVERSTONE

MSS Discovery’s Pere Riba is looking for success in Sunday’s sixth round of the World Supersport Championship as the Spaniard enjoys a wild card ride in the British round at Silverstone.

Riba fires the MSS Discovery ZX-6RR into battle against the world¹s best Supersport stars at the 3.13-mile Northamptonshire circuit.

“It will be an exciting weekend for us,” says Riba. “We’re going to Silverstone with the normal British Supersport Championship pressure removed. I’m more than confident with the speed and capability of the ZX-6RR so it’s down to me to qualify well and mix it with the regulars on Sunday.”

Riba, eighth fastest in Friday¹s opening qualifying, adds: “The competition is tough, probably as tough as it gets in any class of motorcycle racing. I know most of the riders and I’ve been looking forward to racing against them again for some time ­ especially with this new, improved ZX-6RR.”

MSS Discovery team owners Stuart Simmonds and Nick Morgan are looking to the World Supersport Championship outing to gauge the team’s progress and that of the Kawasaki middleweight sports machine.

Simmonds says: “Racing at this Silverstone World Supersport round was a natural move for us, especially as we run very similar tyres to the Pirellis used under the World Championship regulations.

“It’s also a good opportunity for us to compare ourselves to the world teams, just the sort of benchmark we need at this stage in the development of our young team. And we know Pere is experienced enough to be able to challenge for a top 10 finish in Sunday¹s race.”

World Supersport Championship points after five of 10 rounds: 1 Karl Muggeridge, Australia (Honda) 87, 2 Jurgen van den Goorbergh, Holland (Yamaha) 82, 3 Broc Parkes, Australia (Honda) 53, 4 Kevin Curtain, Australia (Yamaha) 47, 5 Katsuaki Fujiwara, Japan (Suzuki) 44, 6 Sebastien Charpentier, France (Honda) 40, 7 Stephane Chambon, France (Suzuki) 39, 8 Lorenzo Lanzi, Italy (Ducati) 37, 9 Max Neukirchner, Germany (Honda) 31, 10 Fabien Foret, France (Yamaha) 30.

Silverstone television coverage: World Supersport Championship race, live on Eurosport News, programme starts at 12.00noon.


More, from a press release issued by FGSport:

FRIDAY QUALIFYING

CHILI FASTEST OF THE SILVERSTONE BLOCKS

Chili Early Champ: Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998) yet again proved his speed in an early SBK session, running his big V-twin to the best time of day one, 1:55.043 – all despite the high winds which hustled over the flat midland’s countryside. The 23-time SBK race winner, currently third in the championship hunt, is looking to make up the 40+ points differential to the leading Fila Ducati riders, who experienced some difficult moments in the first day of qualifying.

Vermeulen Velocity: The Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR of Chris Vermeulen has made quite an impression in the championship since its inclusion this year, especially in the capable hands of 21-year-old SBK class rookie Chris Vermeulen. Silverstone is a track Vermeulen knows well, but this is his first visit on a Superbike during the first year of the development of the all-new Honda Fireblade.

Ducati Files: Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999F04) is one of only two riders in possession of a full works Ducati 999 this season and on his first visit to Silverstone since his promotion to the factory team he had to give best to two other riders on day one. His team-mate James Toseland (Ducati Fila 999F04) was only seventh, continuing what is a sometimes-difficult relationship with his factory machine this season.

Haga and his Homies: Winner of two races so far Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati 999RS) was once more impressively quick in the 22-rider field. Fourth fastest, enough to claim a space on the provisional second row (before the final qualifying competition of Superpole at least) Haga is another potential winner to add into the mix this weekend.

Privato: The impressive bulk of SBK privateers squabbled in tense fashion in the first timed qualifying session, the best behind Chili and Haga proving to be Italian Gianluca Nannelli (Pedercini Ducati 998RS), in a fulsome fifth place. His fellow Italian privateer Marco Borciani (DFX Ducati 999RS) was sixth, in what was another unpredictable and pleasingly diverse series of top qualifying times.

McCoy Row Two: Last man on the second row proved to be Garry McCoy (Xerox Ducati 999RS) on his first run around Silverstone. He was also the last rider inside one second of Chili’s pole time. If Chili’s excellent lap is discounted, McCoy made it seven riders within 0.6 seconds, proving once more that fast circuits like Silverstone lead to generally close racing.

Petronas Progress: With Chris Walker’s Foggy Petronas FP-1 bursting into flames during the morning session, and Troy Corser still recovering from his crash at Oschersleben, it was a busy and often fruitless first day on British soil for the Foggy Petronas Team. Top qualifier at this fast circuit was Troy Corser, 10th overall, but Chris Walker was only 14th, one place ahead of another top British rider, Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati).

Supersport: A familiar looking quartet of riders filled the first four places on the Supersport qualifying order, with Karl Muggeridge heading up the timesheets yet again on his Ten Kate Honda. In second place 2002 World Champion Fabien Foret ripped to second, 0.131 seconds slower than Muggeridge, but faster by 0.2 seconds than Broc Parkes, the second Ten Kate Honda rider. In fourth place Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) edged out another Honda rider, Alessio Corradi, a big fan of Silverstone’s fast layout.

Final qualifying for each class takes place on Saturday 12 June, with Superpole the final arbiter of starting positions for the top 16 SBK qualifiers.


More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda:

WSBK Silverstone; Vermeulen second in first Qualifying

The first year of full SBK competition for the combination of Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) and his 1000cc Fireblade has already delivered some notable highpoints, and the first day at Silverstone proved to be no different.

Around the tough Silverstone full circuit the Honda lapped second fastest overall, with only the hybrid Ducati of Pierfrancesco Chili ahead. Vermeulen is 0.4 seconds down on Chili at present, with more to come from both rider and team.

Vermeulen stated, “Second place on day one is not bad, first time here on the big bike. We’re not going that much faster than we did on my 600 last year. It feels quite comfortable to ride so far and we’ve made some changes since Oschersleben, to the front forks and rear shock. We just have to get those four tenths off Chili. We’re going OK. There are some sidewinds and in my opinion it’s harder to ride the big bike in high winds – because the front wheel is usually light and then you cannot turn. We did a test at Assen and that certainly bore that opinion out. It wasn’t so bad today, not like Phillip Island was. We’re still hoping that the wind dies down and the heat comes up for tomorrow.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate was pleased at such early pace from his Superbike charges, both human and metallic. “It’s going quite well, from the very start we have been up front. Most of the time we have to come from back a bit in the first sessions. We didn’t make full use of the qualifying tyre but tomorrow we want to go faster still and there is room for improvement. We are very happy to be up there already.”

World Superbike Championship
Round Six- Silverstone, Great Britain
11 – 13 June 2004
First Qualifying Session

1. P. Chili, ITA, Ducati 999 RS, 1’55.043

2. C. Vermeulen, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR, 1’55.408

3. R. Laconi, FRA, Ducati 999 F04, 1’55.415

4. N. Haga, JPN, Ducati 999 RS, 1’55.522

5. G. Nannelli, ITA,Ducati 998 Rs, 1’55.932

6. M. Borciani, ITA, Ducati 999 RS, 1’55.977

7. J. Toseland, GBR, Ducati 999 F04,1’55.984

8. G. Mccoy, AUS, Ducati 999 RS, 1’55.987

9. L. Pedercini, ITA, Ducati 998 RS, 1’56.169

10. T. Corser, AUS, Petronas FP1, 1’56.279

WSS Silverstone; Muggeridge and Parkes up front in stiff breeze

The ever-impressive Ten Kate Supersport duo of Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) and his team-mate Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda) once more propelled themselves to the top positions in the first qualifying session, setting the quickest and third fastest times of the session respectively.

The session was not without a dose of drama for Muggeridge as a loose fuel line towards the end of the session almost stopped him from setting his fastest time of 1:56.715, His bike was returned to the pits and repaired in time to top the qualifying table thus far.

For Parkes, the late charge of Muggeridge and French rider Fabien Foret (Yamaha) restricted his progress to third on day one, setting a best time of 1:57.033. With one more 45-minute official qualifying session to go the existing qualifying record of 1:56.096, could well be under threat, especially if the stiff winds of day one abate somewhat.

Said Muggeridge of Silverstone day one; “When the fuel line popped off the sudden deceleration nearly put me through the windshield! I was on the throttle on the exit of Stowe and it suddenly just stopped. I thought it may have been the engine cut-out switch operating at the wrong time so I reset it and nothing happened. The other bike was OK but I still set my fastest time on my number one bike. We need to just make laps come a bit more comfortably.”

Parkes knows that there is still room for improvement in his race package. “I’m definitely up there with the top guys. Karl and Fabien picked me off towards the end but it’s pretty good to be up there. Tomorrow we need a bit more time to pick a race tyre because one is pretty hard and the other pretty soft. The sidewinds were strong all along the back straight, blowing us all over the place.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate explained that the session was not without some significant happenings. “It was quite a hectic session though, as Muggeridge’s bike had a fuel line come loose, so we had to pick up the bike from the far end of the track. We got it back in time, after he had done some laps on his number two bike. It was good to see that he kept calm and set his fastest lap at the end. Both riders expect to shave off more time tomorrow, even though the top two riders are already into the 1:56s. The wind and cool track does not help the tyres but it does help the engine power. It’s like Assen, sometimes you think, ‘it’s too cool to set a good lap time’ then the boys go out and put in really quick times.”

World Supersport Championship
Round Six – Silverstone, Great Britain
11 – 13 June 2004
First Qualifying

1. K. Muggeridge, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1’56.715

2. F. Foret, FRA, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’56.846

3. B. Parkes, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1’57.033

4. S. Charpentier, FRA, Honda CBR600RR, 1’57.339

5. A. Corradi, ITA, Honda CBR600RR, 1’58.076

6. K. Curtain, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’58.082

7. L. Lanzi, ITA, Ducati 749 R, 1’58.181

8. P. Riba, ESP, Kawasaki ZX6 RR, 1’58.242

9. J. vd Goorbergh, NED, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’58.289

10. S. Chambon, FRA, Suzuki GSX 600R, 1’58.313


More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

2004 World Superbike Championship
Round 6, Silverstone (Uk), Friday 11st June 2004, Friday Qualifying
Circuit: 5.036 km., Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy 18c

TROY TENTH DESPITE DIFFICULTY
Troy finished the first day of qualifying with tenth quickest time despite suffering from the injury he sustained when he fell in the last round at Oschersleben. Troy hurt his back in that crash and has been having treatment to improve his chances of fitness before Sunday’s pair of 20-lappers. Italian Frankie Chili (Ducati) is on provisional pole today, ahead of Chris Vermeulen (Honda), Regis Laconi (Ducati) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati). Troy’s team mate Chris Walker suffered a miraculous escape today when his Petronas FP1 bike caught fire whilst he was still onboard! Walker just managed to pull the bike off the track and park it before the marshals rushed over and used three fire extinguishers to put out the blaze!

TROY – 10th, 1:56.279
My main problem today is the stiffness I am feeling in my mid and lower back. I was very sore after the Oschersleben crash and I found it quite hard riding the bike well today. It was difficult to get relaxed on the bike and even sitting on it was a bit uncomfortable. But I did manage to put in some laps and so I’m pretty happy with the times really. We changed the gearbox internals and externals this afternoon, because it’s vital to get a good gearbox set-up here. I did a good time on race rubber and went a bit quicker on a qualifying tyre, so that’s pretty good also. At the moment we are suffering from a lack of top speed and good acceleration compared to our rivals. At any circuit that hurts, but because Silverstone is a fast track, this makes our life that bit more difficult. I knew this would be a tough one for us and so far it is.

Friday qualifying
1 Chili (I-Ducati) 1:55.043, 2 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda) 1:55.408, 3 Laconi (I-Ducati) 1:55.415, 4 Haga (J-Ducati) 1:55.522, 5 Nannelli (I-Ducati) 1:55.932, 6 Borciani (I-Ducati) 1:55.977, 10 TROY CORSER (AUS-PETRONAS FP1) 1:56.279


More, from sidecar race organizers:

Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship – round three – Silverstone

Final qualifying:

1 Steve Webster Suzuki 1m 57.846s

2 Jorg Steinhausen Suzuki 2m 00.289s

3 Tim Reeves Suzuki 2m 00.726s

4 Derek Brindley Suzuki 2m 02.157s

5 Richard Gatt Suzuki 2m 02.642s

6 Greg Lambert Suzuki 2m 03.417s

7 Bryan Pedder Suzuki 2m 04.147s

8 Stuart Muldoon Suzuki 2m 04.214s

9 Bill Philp Yamaha 2m 04.722s

10 Chris Founds Yamaha 2m 05.950s

** Steve Webster/Paul Woodhead win “NEXA Autocolour Pole Position” award, two limited edition Pulsar watches.

First race: Saturday, 17.30hrs – 12 laps
Second race: Sunday, 16.4ohrs – 12 laps

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing Inc.

1. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 1:46.744
2. Randy De Puniet, Aprilia, 1:46.820
3. Sebastian Porto, Aprilia, 1:47.100
4. Toni Elias, Honda, 1:47.541
5. Alex De Angelis, Aprilia, 1:47.741
6. Franco Battiani, Aprilia, 1:48.115
7. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, 1:48.184
8. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, 1:48.189
9. Manuel Poggiali, Aprilia, 1:48.283
10. Hiroshi Aoyama, Honda, 1:48.299
11. Sylvain Guintoli, Aprilia, 1:48.406
12. Joan Olive, Aprilia, 1:48.559
13. Hugo Marchand, Aprilia, 1:48.569
14. Eric Bataille, Honda, 1:48.764
15. Alex Debon, Honda, 1:48.962
16. Jakub Smrz, Honda, 1:49.173
17. Gregory Lefort, Aprilia, 1:49.232
18. Hector Faubel, Aprilia, 1:49.431
19. Anthony West, Aprilia, 1:49.634
20. Dirk Heidolf, Aprilia, 1:49.659

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

1. Karl Muggeridge, Honda, 1:56.715
2. Fabian Foret, Yamaha, 1:56.846
3. Broc Parkes, Honda, 1:57.033
4. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda, 1:57.339
5. Alssio Corradi, Honda, 1:58.076
6. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha, 1:58.082
7. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, 1:58.181
8. Pere Riba, Kawasaki, 1:58.242
9. Jurgen VD Goorbergh, Yamaha, 1:58.289
10. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki, 1:58.313
11. Christian Kellner, Yamaha, 1:58.686
12. Matthieu Lagrive, Suzuki, 1:58.691
13. Craig Jones, Triumph, 1:58.754
14. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati, 1:58.805
15. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki, 1:58.988

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

1. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:55.043
2. Chris Vermeulen, Honda, 1:55.408
3. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:55.415
4. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:55.522
5. Gianluca Nanelli, Ducati, 1:55.932
6. Marco Borciani, Ducati, 1:55.977
7. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:55.984
8. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:55.987
9. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati, 1:56.169
10. Troy Corser, Petronas FP1, 1:56.279
11. Steve Martin, Ducati, 1:56.354
12. Ivan Clemeti, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:56.413
13. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:56.435
14. Chris Walker, Petronas FP1, 1:56.621
15. James Ellison, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:56.701

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Archibald takes Senior TT – Farquhar takes Production 600 TT

The luck of the Irish changed for the better on the final day of the Isle of Man TT Racing Festival as first Ryan Farquhar and then Adrian Archibald took the victories on a day of despair for John McGuinness (Yamaha) who had started out with high hopes of becoming the first rider in the history of the event to win five races in a week.

But, in first the 600cc Production race, and then Senior, McGuinnes the Yamaha rider was sidelined by mechanical problems after setting the early pace.

Shrugging aside his earlier frustrations, McGuinness had set a furious pace on the opening lap of the Senior race, grabbing an 11 seconds advantage with an opening lap of 127.19 mph and then doubling that as he headed for the half distance pit-stops for both fuel and tyres.

Archibald (Suzuki) was hanging in, having taken second place, just from the determined Honda rider Ian Lougher, but by Glen Helen on the third lap, it was all change. McGuinness was touring, and he pulled off at Kirk Michael with clutch problems. Archibald, last year’s winner was ahead on the TAS Suzuki and battling to end a lean week on high note.

Ian Lougher was strong in second place, but, as he took Ramsey Hairpin for the third time, the Honda rider stopped, with electrical problems. That moved Kiwi Bruce Anstey (Suzuki) into second place with local fireman Paul Hunt third, though shortly afterwards he stopped with clutch problems.

“That was a good end to what has been a tricky week for me,” smiled Archibald, who also earned a bonus of £10,000 and the Joey Dunlop Trophy as the best placed rider over the TTF1 and Senior races. He finished half a second clear of Anstey, and enjoyed his ride: “The bike never missed a beat – it was good, enjoyable, though it was unfortunate for John, but that is the sort of thing that happens here.

Anstey was second, Gary Carswell (Suzuki) took third with Mark Parrett (Yamaha), Martin Finnegan (Yamaha) heading off sixth placed Honda rider Chris Heath. Guy Martin (Suzuki) held off Gordon Blackley (Honda) with David Bell (Suzuki) ninth from Ian Armstrong (Yamaha).

Earlier, Farquhar (Kawasaki) had enjoyed his maiden triumph on the Island to end a problematic week of machine and fuel problems on the Island, but the young Ulsterman had to work frantically throughout to taste the winner’s champagne in the three lap 600cc Production race.

McGuinness had set the early pace, nosing his Yamaha into a slender one second lead as they reached Ramsey on the first lap, but, Farquhar had overhauled that to grab the lead on the descent of the mountain.

The Kawasaki rider, who had one or two scary moments on the opening lap, run on a course left treacherous in places with damp patches after morning rain, took charge of the action with a second lap at 118.94mph, which, as he pitted for fuel gave him the advantage by five seconds.

However, his hard charging riding was not matched by the pit-stop, and as he re-joined, McGuinness, having a slick service halt was back in front, but four second. Farquhar was having none of it, and as they reached Glen Helen for the final time, he was on level terms, and then pulling away.

McGuinness was experiencing problems, riding with a broken steering damper, and hanging on as best he could, but having to concede second place to Anstey, who put in fast charge over the mountain to close in, finishing just two seconds down on Farquhar.

“Perfect,” smiled Farquhar. “It takes a bit of sinking in that I’ve won – I had a few slides on the opening lap, then lost time in the pits, but after running out of fuel in the Junior race it was case of better safe that sorry. After the disasters of the three races, this is superb.”

Anstey, second, admitted: “it was tight, I couldn’t do anything about it -it was a hard race, while McGuinness, disappointed with third commented: “after the problem with the damper I just wanted to bring the bike home in one piece.”

Jason Griffiths,(Yamaha) took fourth ahead of Honda’s Ian Lougher. Raymond Porter (Suzuki) took sixth from Chris Heath (Yamaha) with Gordon Blackley taking eight for Honda. Adrian Archibald (Suzuki) and Mark Parrett (Honda) completed the top ten finishers.


Production 600 Results Friday Race
PSN / NO-DRIVER / CC / MACHINE / HOME TOWN / TIME / SPEED

1 /6-RYAN FARQUHAR /600 /MCADOO Kawasaki ZX6 /DUNGANNON NI /57 46.6 /117.54

2 /5-BRUCE ANSTEY /600 /TAS Suzuki GSXR K4 /NEW ZEALAND /57 48.9 /117.46

3 /3-JOHN McGUINNESS /600 /Yamaha R6 /MORECAMBE /57 57.9 /117.16

4 /4-JASON GRIFFITHS /600 /Yamaha R6 /RAMSEY IOM /58 07.9 /116.82

5 /2-IAN LOUGHER /600 /Honda CBR RR /DROMORA NI /58 21.1 /116.38

6 /7-RAYMOND PORTER /600 /SUZUKI /LIFFORD EIRE /58 44.0 /115.63

7 /9-CHRIS HEATH /600 /PRO CET YAMAHA /BALDRINE IOM /58 45.8 /115.57

8 /16-GORDON BLACKLEY /600 /BRANSON HONDA /RAF BRIZE NORTO /58 48.0 /115.50

9 /1-ADRIAN ARCHIBALD /600 /TAS Suzuki GSXR /BALLYMONEY NI /58 51.7 /115.37

10 /10-MARK PARRETT /600 /Honda CBR RR /MIDHURST /58 55.3 /115.26

11 /41-TOMMY CLUCAS /600 /BULLOCK HONDA /PEEL IOM /58 59.1 /115.13

12 /13-SHAUN HARRIS /600 /BALCKS BIKE SHOP HONDA /NEW ZEALAND /59 01.8 /115.05

13 /8-RICHARD BRITTON /600 /DPH Racing Honda CBR /ENNISKILLEN NI /59 08.7 /114.82

14 /12-MARTIN FINNEGAN /600 /ROUNDTOWER YAMAHA /LUSK EIRE /59 11.3 /114.74

15 /38-DAVY MORGAN /600 /John Bell Yamaha R6 /SAINTFIELD NI /59 33.1 /114.04
TOTAL LAP COUNT 217; TOTAL MILEAGE 8187.41; FASTEST LAP TIME 19 01.9;
FASTEST LAP SPEED 118.94; FASTEST RIDER RYAN FARQUHAR; LAP NUMBER 2


Senior TT Results Friday Race
PSN / NO-DRIVER / CC / MACHINE / HOME TOWN / TIME / SPEED

1 /1-ADRIAN ARCHIBALD /1000 /TAS Suzuki GSXR/BALLYMONEY NI /113 08.1 /123.81

2 /5-BRUCE ANSTEY /1000 /TAS Suzuki GSXR K4 /NEW ZEALAND /1 13 38.3 /122.96

3 /14-GARY CARSWELL /1000 /HM Suzuki GSXR /MAUGHOLD IOM /1 15 03.3 /120.64

4 /10-MARK PARRETT /1000 /Kingscourt Yamaha R1 /MIDHURST /1 15 09.9 /120.47

5 /12-MARTIN FINNEGAN /1000 /ROUNDTOWER YAMAHA /LUSK EIRE /1 15 10.7 /120.44

6 /9-CHRIS HEATH /1000 /HONDA /BALDRINE IOM /1 15 22.1 /120.14

7 /29-GUY MARTIN /1000 /Suzuki GSXR /DERRY NI /1 15 24.9 /120.07

8 /17-GORDON BLACKLEY /1000 /Honda CBR RR /RAF BRIZE NORTO /1 16 00.0 /119.14

9 /44-DAVID BELL /1000 /Suzuki GSXR /CHESTER LE STRE /1 16 20.4 /118.61

10 /24-IAN ARMSTRONG /1000 /CABLE DIRECT YAMAHA /SOWERBY BRIDGE /1 16 32.3 /118.30

11 /41-JUN MAEDA /998 /Honda CBR RR /JAPAN /1 16 36.1 /118.21

12 /27-CHRIS PALMER /1000 /SUZUKI /CASTLETOWN IOM /1 16 37.8 /118.16

13 /20-NIGEL BEATTIE /1000 /Rockett Yamaha /LAXEY IOM /1 16 49.8 /117.86

14 /36-ANDY WALLACE /750 /SUZUKI /CULLODEN /1 17 01.4 /117.56

15 /30-ALEX DONALDSON /1000 /Suzuki GSXR /LIMAVADY NI /1 17 05.7 /117.45
TOTAL LAP COUNT 287; TOTAL MILEAGE 10828.51; FASTEST LAP TIME 17 47.9;
FASTEST LAP SPEED 127.19; FASTEST RIDER JOHN McGUINNESS; LAP NUMBER 1

From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Stalker becomes Mr Nasty for Silverstone

The influence of Foggy PETRONAS Racing team boss Carl Fogarty has rubbed off on his rider Chris Walker in the build-up to this weekend’s British round of the Superbike World championship at Silverstone, Great Britain.

Chris, nicknamed The Stalker for his gutsy pursuit of success, has adopted the legendary Foggy focus as he and team-mate Troy Corser prepare for tomorrow’s first action at the sixth round of the championship.

Chris said: “It’s a good thing that I feel angry and nasty as, just like Carl did, I tend to do better when I am in that mood! Although I didn’t do too well here last year, I do enjoy the circuit and it will be great to have the support of my home crowd.

“I never really know what to expect on this bike until we ride round as we have done better at some circuits than we have expected. But the FP1 is definitely going better and I think we can go well if we get a good set-up. The team has been working really hard with the PETRONAS engine development team on existing data to make as much improvement as possible from the last round.

“Silverstone is one of those tracks where a good lap builds from the fast first corner, which takes you onto the straight and where you tend to push the front. But if you start the lap fast it really does flow as each corner leads into the next. Then the two chicanes give you chance to catch your breath before you go again! It’s an important track to be smooth on and carry good corner speed, so that aspect of it might suit us. However, the last chicane is very slow and exits onto a fast section so we may struggle there.”

The initial focus for Troy and Chris will be on setting the bike up for the Pirelli race tyres. With James Haydon missing the round through injury last year, the team was only able to acquire limited data from Troy’s bike. And, with the Australian failing to qualify for Superpole as a result of technical problems, his 16th place in the first race after an early mistake was the stark return from a disastrous weekend. Much of last year’s challenge centred on chatter from the Michelin tyres and, with the track also being bumpy in braking areas due to the `carpet effect’ caused by F1 racing, effective suspension set-up will again be a key factor.

Carl said: “The first thing I am hoping is that we do better than last year, especially as we are at our home track. We are hoping for more improvements from the engine at the next round, Laguna Seca, so to have Troy and Chris in the top six at this round would be an achievement. It’s becoming harder to say which tracks will suit us and which won’t, but our bike is still not as fast as a lot of the other machines so we will be down on top speed again.”

Circuit information: Silverstone, Great Britain

Best lap: Neil Hodgson, 1:52.875 (Superpole, 2003)
Lap record (race): Gregorio Lavilla 1:53.629 (2003)
Pole position: Right
Circuit length: 5.094km
Corners: 7 left, 8 right

Standings (after 5 of 11 rounds)

Riders: 1 Toseland 157; 2 Laconi 155; 3 Chili 113; 4 McCoy 107; 5 Haga 94; 6 Vermeulen 92; 7 Haslam 89; 8 Corser 79; 9 Walker 78; 10 Martin 73

Manufacturers: 1 Ducati 250; 2 Petronas 112; 3 Honda 99; 4 Kawasaki 64; 5 Suzuki 56; 6 Yamaha 26

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI FILA DUO HEAD TO SILVERSTONE FOR 400TH WORLD SUPERBIKE RACE

Silverstone (UK), 10 June 2004: The World Superbike Championship notches up the 400-race mark this weekend at the legendary Silverstone circuit in Northants, England as the Ducati Fila duo of Regis Laconi and James Toseland try to help maintain the Italian manufacturer’s stranglehold on the championship.

Current Ducati Fila team manager Davide Tardozzi was the man who took the first-ever World Superbike championship win, back in 1988 at Donington and he will be urging on the latest generation of Ducati factory riders from the pit-wall as they aim to conquer the fast and flowing Formula 1 circuit.

After a brace of second places at Oschersleben, James Toseland comes back to Britain for round 6 with a slender championship lead, but the 23 year-old from Sheffield knows that a win in front of his home fans will do his championship challenge no harm at all.

“We didn’t have such a good run in the second race at Oschersleben but we certainly got the bike working much better so I’m looking forward to riding at Silverstone” Toseland declared.

“We’ve had a few problems up to now and consistency has meant that I’m leading the championship but now it’s time to win some races and I can’t see any better place to do it than Silverstone in front of my home crowd.”

Regis Laconi lost the championship points lead in Germany but the Frenchman has collected more wins than any other rider this year – 5 – and is surely firm favourite for the honours around the former airfield circuit.

“I really love this track, it’s a place where the rider can really make all the difference. It’s so fast apart from the last part, the right and the left which is far too slow” declared Laconi.

“We had a difficult weekend in Germany and were happy to finish with good points. I will be trying to win the Silverstone race for sure but there is not much of a difference at the top, so my job is to get as many points as possible.”

POINTS (after 5 of 11 rounds) : (Riders) 1. Toseland 157; 2. Laconi 155; 3. Chili 113; 4. McCoy 107; 5. Haga 94; 6. Vermeulen 92; etc.
(Manufacturers) 1. Ducati 250 ; 2. Petronas 112 ; 3. Honda 99; 4. Kawasaki 64; 5. Suzuki 56; 6. Yamaha 26.

CIRCUIT INFO: Name: Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit. Length: 5.036 km.
Pole Position: right.

STATISTICS:
Best lap: Hodgson (Ducati), 1:52.875 (2003).
Lap record: Lavilla (Suzuki), 1:53.629 (2003). Superpole: Hodgson (Ducati), 1:52.875
(2003).
Race Distance: 2 x 20 laps/100.720 km.

2003 RESULTS:
Race 1: 1. Hodgson (Ducati); 2. Toseland (Ducati); 3. Xaus (Ducati).
Race 2: 1. Hodgson; 2. Lavilla (Suzuki); 3. Xaus.

TV COVERAGE: BBC (UK): Sunday 13 June, 1135-1250 SBK 1 (live), 1530-1625 SBK 2 (live); Eurosport News (Europe, via satellite): Sunday 13 June, 1200-1645 (Central European Time) SBK 1 + SS + SBK 2 (live); Eurosport (Europe, via satellite): 1930-2000 (highlights). La 7 (Italy): Saturday 12 June, 1800 Superpole (delayed); Sunday 13 June, 1600 SBK 1 + SS + SBK 2 (delayed).

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World inc.

American Suzuki Motor Corp. has changed the way it pays contingency money, switching from writing and mailing checks to crediting a debit card that riders haven’t received yet.

Several riders have recently complained to Roadracing World that Suzuki has been slow to make contingency payments; Mike Smith, for example, says the company owes him about $20,000 in unpaid 2004 contingency.

We asked American Suzuki’s Morgan Broadhead about the delay, and he said, “It was kind of a late decision, but we decided that we were implementing it on our motocross side so we went ahead and did it for road race. We were a little late in getting our first batch of checks out to everybody, but then instead of checks they’re all going to receive debit cards.”

When asked about the reason behind the change, Broadhead said, “Convenience and ultimately speed because once everybody has got their debit card we’ll be able to get money from our system into their hands faster. In the long run it means that the transfer of money from our contingency program will basically be instant.”

Broadhead said that more details on the program will be announced at the Suzuki Dealer show scheduled for Las Vegas, Nevada on June 14-16.

From a press release issued by Brainerd International Raceway:

Grand Casino extends its sponsorship at Brainerd International Raceway through 2004

BRAINERD, Minn. ­ Brainerd International Raceway officials today announced that Grand Casino Mille Lacs has agreed to extend its sponsorship through the 2004 racing season.

Based in Onamia, Minn., Grand Casino will have significant exposure at the track this year, especially during the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 13-15. During that event, which draws more than 100,000 drag racing fans each year, Grand Casino will offer promotional giveaways on site and provide shuttle service between the track and the casino.

Grand Casino also will support a contest among on-track campers. Campsites will be judged for creativity, with a significant prize being awarded to the “best dressed” campsite. For many race fans who camp during the NHRA Nationals, it’s tradition to dress up their campsite with a wide variety of unique or special signs and items.

“We are excited to extend our opportunity to participate with BIR this year,” said Ronda Weizenegger, General Manager of Grand Casino Mille Lacs. “By working together to enhance participation and awareness of the local area, it is a win-win situation for all.”

“We’re very pleased to have Grand Casino back again this year” BIR General Manager Scott Quick said. “It’s a great fit for both BIR and Grand Casino, and Grand Casino’s involvement in the NHRA Nationals adds another dimension that makes that event even bigger and better. We can’t say enough about the integrity and class that Grand Casino brings to BIR.”

BIR President Bill Singleterry and Don Williamson, CEO of Sports Resorts International Inc., both join Quick in welcoming the Grand Casino partnership.